


Buried History

by Sourgrapes_Snape



Series: Bornean-Rasp Series [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, FanFiction.Net, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Other, Posted Elsewhere, StephxAxSparrow, sevione grape, wattpad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-03
Updated: 2014-01-03
Packaged: 2018-08-30 01:15:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8513125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sourgrapes_Snape/pseuds/Sourgrapes_Snape
Summary: A new professor sparks the attention of a particular former Potions' Master when she replaces him in Harry, Ron and Hermione's 6th year at Hogwarts. 
Certain they've never met before, Severus quickly becomes confused when she claims that they indeed have and in fact, share some history.
The other staff know who she is and welcome her back to Hogwarts. 
Join them on a quest of reclaiming lost love, sacrifice, gaining power and finding each other. 
Come along and they might just uncover their
Buried History
{Book One of Two}





	1. Prologue

###  Prologue 

The atmosphere was tense and crackling with energy and the air was cold.

He sat there, holding her to his chest, tears rushing down his face. His heart, broken in a million pieces.

She lay in his arms, her hair concealing her pale face covered in blood. He brushed her dark locks aside and looked into her eyes as the light slowly faded from them.

With all the strength she had left she said, barely above a whisper.

"I...I l-love you."

And she was gone. A lifeless body in his arms.

No. No, it couldn't be true. This couldn't be how it ended. The universe was cruel.

His world was gone and he was alone.

Then, he woke up.


	2. Chapter 1-Meeting Her

### Chapter 1 Meeting Her

School started again in one week and Dumbledore still hadn't found a teacher to teach Potions'. When would he? He had 7 days to find one and even then, the poor soul would have to cram in a summer's worth of course planning into a few short days.

Severus paced his office as he did so often, these days. His chin rested in his hand, his arms crossed and his billowing black robes swirling around him every time he turned briskly.

A knock at his office door took him from his thoughts. He opened the door and saw the Deputy Headmistress, Minerva, standing on the other side.

"Ah, there you are, Severus. Albus was looking for you." She said.

The dark haired wizard arched an eyebrow but said nothing as he followed the older witch towards the Headmaster's office. 

They entered and where joined by the rest of the staff. They were all crowded around something...or someone. 

"Silence, please!" The old wizard called out. "Hold your tongues for a few moments. I have an announcement to make." 

The room quieted immediately. 

"I have indeed found a candidate suitable for Severus' previous post as Potions' Master. They have been notified. It has been a month and a half since they have learnt of their new career. No need to worry, fellow colleagues." 

Everyone looked at him disbelievingly. "And it never crossed your genius mind to let us know of these events?" Severus asked coldly. 

"All in due time, my boy." Dumbledore said as he smiled warmly, his pale blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. 

"When is the new staff member arriving?" Flitwick voiced. 

His question was answered by a knock at the door. 

"Right about now, my dear Filius." Albus said. "Come in." He called out to the door. 

The door opened slowly and a figure stepped into the room. 

A tall figure with long, brown curly hair and large sage green eyes. A pale complexion and flawless features. A small, round nose and pale pink lips. She was very beautiful and quite remakable. Dark robes and an imposing presence. Yet, she looked no older than 20 years of age. 

The newcomer had an air of importance about her. Dignified and proud, yet humble and modest. A very rare combination. 

The new arrival walked over to the Headmaster and shook his hand. "Lovely to see you again, sir. It is truly an honour to be under the roof of Hogwarts once more." 

"Nonsense, my dear. It is quite an honour to having your talents here, once again. Let me introduce you to the staff." He said kindly. 

The young professor smiled a small, timid smile and nodded once. 

"Very well! Everyone, this is our newest member. She will be replacing Severus as Potions' Mistress while he holds the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts." He announced clearly. 

The staff clapped and the witch inclined her head toward them. 

As they were leaving to prepare their classes for the following week, they greeted her welcome and congratulated her on her new job. 

One of the last to leave was Severus himself. He wanted to make sure that Dumbledore hadn't made a mistake as he so often did when it came to staffing the school. 

"Hello." She said softly. "You must be Professor Snape." She inquired delicately. 

A chill ran down his spine and he shivered involuntarily. He recognized her voice. The way his name rolled off the tip of her tongue sent a million memories racing through his mind, but he couldn't place where he'd heard it before. He couldn't place her... 

"Yes, I am." He responded after a moment. 

She stuck out her hand to shake his. She shook it firmly. Her long, pale fingers were cold as ice against his own. 

"My name is Eliza Barron. I believe we've met once already. Many, many years ago." She smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes. 

Severus frowned slightly. "I think I would remember meeting someone such as yourself. You do not seem to be the type to be forgotten." He answered smoothly. 

"Perhaps." She shrugged and pulled back her hand. "It is truly an honour to be filling your shoes, Professor. You are a very prestigious man in the world of Potion brewing." 

He bowed his head slightly out of politeness. "Thank you, Miss Barron. Welcome to Hogwarts." 

With that, she left the Headmaster's office and headed down the hall where McGonagall caught up with her to show her to the dungeons. 

"Quite the character, isn't she, Severus?" Albus asked. 

Snape nodded. "Indeed, Headmaster." 

He turned towards the old wizard and sighed. "She is very mysterious. All she said was her name, that we possibly met many years ago and that she was honoured to be Potions' Mistress. That's not much to go on, sir." 

Albus chuckled. "Sound familiar? Severus, I think you've found your match. Quiet, mysterious, suspicious, dark, studious. At least, that's how she used to be." 

"Used to be?" Questioned Snape, arching an eyebrow. 

"When she was a student, I mean." Dumbledore corrected himself. 

Severus' eyes widened. "She attended Hogwarts as a student?" 

"Well, of course, my boy! Where else would she have gone?" The old man said. 

The dark wizard shook his head. "Impossible. There is no way that she came to this school. I have been through every file of every student who has ever attended Hogwarts and she was not there." He exclaimed. 

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Well, I suppose you must have missed her. She was definitely a student. I remember. Those pale green eyes are hard to miss and quite memorable. I suggest you look again." 

He then left, his mind buzzing with questions. Was she a student when he was? No, she seemed too young. Or had she been one of his? No, he would have remembered that. Then when? When was she a student? How had he missed her? 

That night, the staff held a small welcome party for Eliza in the teachers' lounge. All of the school's current residents went to welcome her, even Peeves the Poltergeist. 

"Eliza, nice ter see yer again!" Hagrid exclaimed when he saw the younger witch. "It's been a long time since I've last seen yer 'round!" 

The brunette smiled warmly. "Hello, Hagrid. It's nice to see you too and I certainly agree, it has been a long time." She said nicely. 

"Oh, dearie! It's been a while, what have you been up to?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she approached her. 

"Not much, to be honest. I've done some traveling and a few discoveries in my experimenting, though they didn't come without a cost! I did end up at St. Mungoe's quite a few times because of them." She said, laughing slightly. 

The staff who had been listening laughed too and Severus was baffled. Her ability to hold a crowd's interest and attention was incredible. She would indeed make a good teacher for a bunch of dunderhead teenagers. 

"I hope it wasn't too serious." Pomona said, comcerned. 

"Oh, no. Just a few burns here and there. Though I almost lost my hearing when I was working with a few Mandagora. Feisty little beings, they are." She said. 

They laughed again. The rest of the evening continues as such. People welcomed her back, she captivated their attention and made them laugh, then they reminisced of old times and the conversation moved on to someone else. 

Everyone seemed to remember her except Severus. Why?


	3. Chapter 2-Introductions and Mind Games

### Chapter 2 Introductions and Mind Games

Harry sat on the train with Hermione and Ron. He had loads to tell them. Nothing particularly interesting had happened up until two weeks ago, when the Headmaster had rescued him from the Dursley's. He would have told them sooner, but it wasn't really a conversation to have had at the Burrow. 

"Harry, you said you have something to tell us?" Hermione prodded curiously. Her best friend seemed a little antsy ever since he arrived at the Weasley's home. 

"Yeah, I do. It's really important, so I'm going to lock the door." Harry answered as he stood up and closed the compartment door. 

"What is it mate?" Ron asked impatiently. 

Harry sat down and started recounting what had just recently happened. 

"So, Dumbledore came to get me at the Dursley's and brought me somewhere strange. It was a really big house, really big and it looked like someone quite wealthy lived there." He started, nervously. "Um, he knocked on the door and a bloody butler answered it along with a house elf. I'm not even kidding." 

Hermione and Ron's eyes widened. 

"Yeah, my point exactly. We were brought to a type of parlour or living room and a few minutes later, this woman entered the room and said that she'd been waiting a really long time for our visit." He continued. 

"Who was she?" Ron asked. 

"He's getting to that, Ron!" Hermione snapped, for she too was eager to hear more. 

"Anyway, she was really beautiful and she was wearing a long black dress with black robes and long sleeves. Her hair was a dark brown, nearly raven and curly. And her eyes, Merlin, her eyes were a pale green...almost a minty type of green. It's insane. They were her most prominent feature." Harry rambled. 

"And?" The Gryffindor witch prodded. 

"Oh, right. She didn't act like everyone else did when she saw me. She seemed almost disgusted, but I wouldn't know. She spoke in a really monotonous voice and wore an emotionless face most of the time, but occasionally, Dumbledore managed to make her smile." He said. 

"Harry, mate, we don't bloody care!" Ron exclaimed. 

"Oh. Sorry, I keep getting distracted." He apologized. 

"We can tell, Harry." Hermione said gently. 

"Um, where was I? Right! Turns out, she's going to be teaching at Hogwarts this year, but she seems a little suspicious. Dumbledore says that he's known her a while and she'll be good on the team, but I have weird feeling." Harry mumbled. 

Ron and Hermione looked at each other. 

"What type of feeling, Harry?" Ron asked. 

The boy with the spectacles shrugged. "I don't know, she just seemed... Too perfect. I get distracted when I think of her and it feels wrong. I don't think she is exactly who she claims to be." He tried to explain. "And, it didn't really hurt, per se... But my scar prickled a little. It felt very strange. It felt like it was trying to warn me, but something or someone was soothing the pain. I think it was her." 

"That's very strange." Hermione noted. 

"What was her name? Maybe dad knows her." Ron asked. 

"Eliza Barron." 

"Professor Barron will be joining us this year as Potions' Mistress." Dumbledore announced. 

The Great Hall burst into cheers as the new teacher stood and bowed slightly. 

"Would you like to say a few words?" The Headmaster offered. 

The woman nodded and approached Dumbledore's stand, her long robe and dress trailing behind her. 

"Attention students." She called out, in a clear, crisp voice, coated with the slightest foreign accent, nearly undetectable. "I am honoured to have been selected to work amongst you all here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as your new Potions' Mistress." 

The students clapped as did the staff. 

"I understand that most of you had troubles with your previous Professor?" She asked. 

Many of them cheered and all of them nodded. 

"Well, my apologies in advance because with me, it will be much, much worse." Eliza said darkly. "I have met your former teacher and he seems kind and generous in comparison to me. I anticipate our time in class together eagerly." She finished and sat down in her chair to the Deputy's left. 

The dark haired witch turned to face the Head of Gryffindor. "Do you think I've scared them?" 

Minerva glanced around the room and turned back to the younger witch. "Most certainly. I quite enjoyed the part about Severus being kind and generous in comparison. Very clever on your part, Eliza, dear." 

The Potions' Mistress smiled and felt prickling in her back, as though someone were watching her. She turned and stared at the gazer straight in the eye. 

' _Caught you, Professor Snape. _' She said, sending a silent message into the Dark wizard's mind.__

His eyes widened in shock. How had she been able to penetrate his mind with such ease. There had been no mental effort at all. All this time, he had been trying to penetrate hers. 

All she did was look into his eyes... 

There was something very strange about Eliza Barron.


	4. Chapter 3-Sneaky Slytherins and Clumsy Cakesniffers

### Chapter 3 Sneaky Slytherins and Clumsy Cakesniffers

Harry woke up in his four poster and looked at the clock beside his bed. 

"Merlin's beard! I'm going to be late for the Quidditch practice meeting!" He yelped. He pulled on his Quidditch jumper and shook Ron and the other boys, trying out for the team. 

"Oi!" The dark haired boy said loudly. "Wake up, you lot. We'll be late for the meeting!" 

They were up and ready faster than you could say bludger. 

They hurried to the pitch and realized that there was already a team there. 

And so be it, it was the Slytherin team. 

"Bloody hell." Ron muttered. 

"I second that." Katie Bell said, approaching the team. "They've already got their team ready. They've also got new equipment again this year. Courtesy of Malfoy's father." 

Harry, being the team's captain, walked over to the other team's captain and demanded an explanation. 

"Excuse me, what's the big idea? We reserved the pitch this morning." Harry said. 

The Slytherin captain, a tall boy with jet black hair that went halfway down his neck, bright green eyes and rectangular glasses turned towards the Gryffindor seeker. 

"I beg to differ, Potter. Just because you're a celebrity, doesn't mean you can do as you please. The pitch is ours." He said calmly, his words coated with a slight Gaelic accent. 

"No, we reserved it. It's written on the Quidditch board." The Gryffindor insisted. 

The corner of the other boy's lips quirked upwards, almost reaching a smile. "Malfoy, get the note." He said, reaching behind him. 

The blonde snorted. "Don't tell me what to do, Bornean." He said shoving a roll of parchment in his gloved hand. 

"It's Mr. Bornean-Rasp to you, arrogant fool." He said monotonously, as he unrolled the parchment. 

He handed the note to Harry. In a crisp, clear, spiky and familiar penmanship, the following was written. 

' _ **I, Professor Severus Snape, allow the Slytherin Quidditch team to reserve the pitch for Tuesday, September 2nd**_.' 

The older Slytherin smirked and Harry sighed. 

"Looks like we've lost the pitch for today, guys." He said. 

He handed the paper back. "Say, I haven't really seen you around before. What's your name?" Harry asked. 

The taller wizard removed his glove and stuck out his hand to shake Harry's. "The name's Garrett. Garrett Bornean-Rasp, Slytherin Headboy." 

Harry shook his hand hesitantly. Garrett reminded him of someone else, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "Well, I'm Harry. Obviously. See you at the next game." 

With that, the Gryffindor team went back to the school to change. 

"So, how was Quidditch?" Hermione asked later, during their first Potion's class. 

Ron chuckled grimly. "The Slytherins claimed the pitch again. It wasn't all bad though, the captain called Malfoy an arrogant fool." 

Hermione made a face. "That sounds awfully familiar. We know someone else who says that all the time." She said. She was about to gesture to the teacher when she remembered that they had a new teacher. "It's strange." She said. "Having a new teacher in Potions." 

"I was just thinking the same thing." Harry said. 

Eliza walked into the room and closed the door behind her. It wasn't Snape's dramatic entrance, but it wasn't far from it. She stood at the front of the classroom and studied the students. She wore a black, long-sleeved dress that reached the floor and covered her feet. Attached to her shoulders was an equally dark cloak that dragged behind her like the train of a wedding dress. Half of her curls were pinned back and out of her face. The rest cascaded down to her waist. Her lashes, long and thick. Her eyes, pale and mesmerizing. Her face bore no makeup. She didn't need it. 

"This class is so quiet." She said. "You must have been terrified of your previous professor. He has taught you well." She shifted her weight to her hip and flipped her hair over her shoulder. With a snap of her fingers, the course's instructions were written on the chalkboard. The students were amazed. No other teachers used wandless magic, at least not in class. "As you know, my name is Professor Barron. You will call me by no other name." She said coldly. Her voice sent shivers down the pupil's spines and made the hair on the backs of their necks stand on end. "I will not tolerate any foolish questions, inappropriate comments, mistakes or messes. If you do any of those things, you will serve detention. Am I clear?" She said ominously. 

The young wizards before her nodded. 

"What are you waiting for? Get to work!" She barked. 

The class went by without a fault. So did the rest of the day. 

After supper, Hermione headed to the library to return the stack of books she had borrowed over the summer. 

Pushing the door open using her hip, she entered and suddenly collided with something and her books went falling everywhere. 

She looked up to see the source of the collision and saw a boy she hardly noticed around school. 

"I'm so sorry." She mumbled and bent down to pick up her books. 

The boy bent down too and started to help. "That's alright." He said and created a pile of his own and placed them on the librarian's desk. Madam Pince glared at them. Her precious books had fallen all over the place. 

Hermione turned back to the boy. "Say, you're Slytherin's Headboy, right?" She asked. 

"That's what this pin says." He said, gesturing to the shiny new pin on his jumper. "The name's Garrett." 

"Oh dear, you're bleeding." She said, wincing. 

He touched a spot beneath his eye and looked at his fingers. It was indeed covered in blood. 

"That's because my glasses dug into my skin when you ran into me. Where are my glasses?" He asked, looking around. 

"Over here." The curly haired witch said, walking over to them. They had flown across the room and landed near the wall. She gave them to him and he put them on. 

"Thank you, I think I'll get going and clean this up." He started to head towards the door. 

"I'm really sorry." Hermione said nervously. 

"Just watch where you're walking next time. 5 points from Gryffindor." He muttered. 

Hermione's mouth dropped open. Did he seriously just do that? She left the library, angrily. How dare he? 

Garrett headed down to the dungeons to get to the Slytherin common room. On his way, he passed by the new instructor. 

"Good evening, Professor Barron." He said politely. 

"Merlin, what on earth happened to your face?" She asked, concerned. 

"I had an encounter with a pile of books and a Gryffindor Prefect. That's what happened to my face." He answered. 

"Would you like me to clean that up for you?" She offered. 

"I was going to do it myself, but yes please, if possible." He said. 

She lead him to her classroom, on their way they ran into Snape heading to his chambers. Even if he changed offices, he preferred to have his personal chambers in the dungeons so that he could keep an eye on his House. 

"Miss Barron." He said, acknowledging her presence. "Mr. Bornean-Rasp. Heavens, what happened?" He asked in turn. 

Garrett sighed. Again, this question. 

"Miss Granger happened." Eliza said. "She ran into him with her books." Garrett nodded. 

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course she did. That girl will never change." Barron's lips quirked upwards the slightest bit. 

"Come along, Mr. Bornean-Rasp. I'll fix that right up." She said. 

Severus followed, just in case she needed any help. Garrett sat down on one of the chairs in her office and she placed a cloth in a bowl of warm water. She dabbed the cloth on the boy's face and removed the blood, until it was clean. 

"My, my. It's very close to your eye." She said, inspecting it closely. 

She stood up and headed through a black door where her stores were held. Severus groaned internally. He had had to move his things from there into an empty cupboard near his office. She returned with a small, square bottle and container filled with a black powder. She poured some of the liquid from the bottle into the bowl and put the cloth back in it. She emptied the contents of the container into the palm of her hand and sprinkled a bit into a separate bowl and returned to her stores. 

"What is that?" Garrett asked, eyeing the powder anxiously. 

A small smile appeared on Severus' face. "It's ground clove." He said. "Very clever." 

Eliza returned to her spot and dabbed another cloth in the mixture of clove and water and dabbed it on the boy's face. 

"It'll work as a numbing agent, so you won't feel the Dittany." She explained to him. 

She waited a moment before dabbing the Dittany on his face. Within moments, the wound healed up nicely and he was free to go. 

"All done. See you tomorrow, Mr. Bornean-Rasp." 

Garrett touched the spot under his eye. "Thank you. Have a nice evening., Professors." 

Professor Barron sent the boy on his way and turned to her coworker. 

"Didn't think I could do it, did you?" She asked, haughtily. 

The dark wizard shrugged. "Perhaps." 

"Don't lie, I was able to read your thoughts since you walked into the hallway where I was talking to the boy. I must say, I'm a little offended that you doubted my ability." She said, mock offended. 

"I barely know you, I couldn't help but think the worst." He admitted. 

"How many times must I tell you?" She asked, suddenly sad. "We've met before. Many years ago, we met. We used to know each other." 

He shook his head. "You must be mistaken. I'd remember someone like you." 

A tear rolled down her face and she turned away from him and began to put away her things. 

"Oh, Severus. What has become of you?" She whispered under her breath. 

She returned to where he was standing and offered him a small, sad smile. 

"I am positive that you have mistaken me for someone else." He insisted. 

She nodded this time and another tear rolled down her face. "Then how do I know that your patronus is a doe, that your mother's maiden name was Prince, that your father was an alcoholic, that your favourite colour is emerald green, as a child, your best friend was Lily Evans, your favourite food is meatloaf, that you love to go to Honeydukes because it reminds of the woman you were in love with, you drink way too much Firewhiskey to the point where I am certain that your liver will fail, your vault number is 287 and your middle name is Tobias, just like your father. You regret becoming a Deatheater, in reality, you work for Dumbledore. You dread the fact that you are the one who told Lord Voldemort the prophecy and that your birthday is January 9th." She finished and took a deep breath. "I know so much more than all that." 

"How do you know all of that?" He asked, unnerved by the fact that it was all true. 

"Because you told me!" She shouted. "You took my hands in yours and you said to me; Eliza, you now know everything about me. I have no secrets. But you have plenty." 

"I never said that." Snape argued. 

"So, then why does it hurt so much? You used to know me, Severus. What happened?" She said, tears gushing down her beautiful face. 

He wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe her so badly, but what she was saying made no sense. He would remember all those things. 

He was so confused. Had someone tampered with his mind? 

Eliza wiped her face and turned away from him. She sat at her desk and opened one of the drawers. She pulled out old, yellowed letters and placed them on the tabletop. 

"You sent me these." She said, now suddenly eerily calm. 

Severus looked at the envelopes and his eyes widened at the site of his handwriting. 

Someone had definitely messed around with his memory. There was no doubt about it. 

"Try to remember, please. It wasn't supposed to last this long, he told me it wouldn't." 

Severus frowned. He? What did that mean? What wasn't supposed to last this long? 

"Please." She whispered, emotionless. 

He shook his head and backed up in direction of the door. 

"Eliza Barron, who are you?" He asked and left, returning to his chambers.


	5. Chapter 4-Discoveries

### Chapter 4 Discoveries

The next few weeks went by in a blur. Every one was settling in to the school's schedule of early wake ups and late nights of homework overload. 

It was the second month of school when it happened. 

During one of the Quidditch games, Gryffindor vs Slytherin, Severus couldn't keep his eyes off Eliza. He became completely and utterly obsessed with her. He wanted to know about her, what she knew about him. He wanted to believe her. He wanted to know everything. He started to observe her. The way she sat, the way she flipped her hair and bit her lip, the way she tapped her foot, the way her eyes sparkled every time Slytherin scored and the way she became frustrated when they lost. 

He caught up with her after the game. 

"I can't believe they lost to Gryffindor." She said, as they walked back to the school. 

"They always lose against Gryffindor. It is because they have Potter on their team. He's a bloody fast flyer." He responded. 

"I noticed." Eliza said. "Although, it doesn't help that the Slytherin team isn't very good." 

Snape cracked a small smile. "I don't know, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Bornean-Rasp are pretty decent." 

"That's about it, though." She said, smiling in turn. "It's not much of a team if you've only got a seeker and a keeper." 

"True." He admitted. 

She laughed at his statement. 

Her laugh was beautiful. It was full of glee and happiness. Her smile was wide and her eyes twinkled. Then, as fast as it came, it was gone. Replaced by an emotionless mask that Severus knew so well. 

"You should smile more, it suits you. You seem more alive when it's there, and your laugh too. It's beautiful." Severus said. 

Eliza's cheeks were painted with the slightest blush and she looked away, avoiding his eyes. He lifted her chin with his finger so that she was forced to look at him. 

"I mean it. You are positively stunning." He said honestly. 

"Thank you." She said timidly. "Not too shabby, yourself." She added facetiously. 

He sighed and chuckled. "What to do with you, Miss Barron?" 

"I don't know. You'll have to catch me to find out" she said mischievously and ran towards the old castle. 

"Bloody hell." He muttered, shaking his head and took off after her. 

He stopped in his tracks when she turned into a cloud of black mist and zipped across the grounds towards the Black Lake. . 

Only Deatheaters could do that... Was it possible that she was one? 

Looking around nervously, he made sure no one was watching and he followed suit. When he landed on the other side, he snuck up behind her and grabbed her by the waist. She squealed and started to laugh. He set her down and she toppled over, knocking over both of them. 

"Hello, there." Eliza said, greeting him. 

He shook his head. "You clumsy thing." 

"How do you know I'm clumsy? What if I did it on purpose?" She shot back. 

"Somehow I doubt that." He responded. 

"And right you are, my good sir." She said, trying to get back up. 

She stood up and helped him up too, then she started brushing off the dirt on her dress. She turned to walk away and Severus caught her wrist. She turned to face him, surprised by his actions. 

"What is it?" She asked, a little worried by the tight grip around her small wrist. 

"Are you a Deatheater?" He asked seriously. 

"What makes you ask such a silly question?" She asked. 

"Only Deatheaters can become black mist." He said, stating that it was clearly obvious. 

"I used to be. When I was younger. I left. I didn't want that life anymore. I went into hiding." She said. 

"Eliza, why didn't you say anything?" He asked, not understanding why no one has known. 

"What's passed is past. I haven't died yet, so I'm good for now. Nobody had to know." She said and tried to free her wrist. 

"This is serious, Eliza. If He finds you, you'll die." He said, tightening his grip. 

"What do you care? You don't even remember me." She said angrily and ripped her hand away. 

He reached out for her and grabbed her arm. He twirled her around so that she faced him. 

"Just because you say I can't remember, doesn't mean I don't care." He said. 

She swallowed thickly. "What do you mean?" 

"I care about you. Maybe a little too much." He responded. 

A loud splashing sound took their attention. They snapped their heads in the direction of the sound and saw a girl in the water, struggling to stay above it. They looked at each other and ran towards the group of Slytherin students crowded around a spot on the lake. 

"What on earth is going on?" Snape demanded. 

The students cowarded in his presence. When they saw Professor Barron, they were terrified. Eliza turned her attention to the girl in the water. 

"Help, I can't...can't swim." She said, gasping for air. 

The female teacher removed her cloak and shoes and dived into the lake. She swam towards the girl and placed the girl's arm around her neck and started to swim back to shore. She hoisted the girl up onto the grass and climbed out after her. The girl burst into a coughing fit and water poured from her mouth and nose. 

"Why was she in the water?" Severus asked menacingly. 

Pansy Parkinson stepped forward. "She was boasting about how her boyfriend was such a great keeper and we were sick of hearing it, so we pushed her to teach her a lesson. We didn't realize she couldn't swim." 

"You never seem to realize anything." He snarled. "You put your housemate in a life threatening situation. You all have detention. And 20 points from Slytherin. I am very disappointed." 

He turned to his coworker and the Slytherin still spewing water and approached them. Eliza's hair had come undone and she was soaked, dripping from head to toe. She was trying to calm the hysteric blonde girl. 

"Are you alright?" She asked gently. 

"I am now, I think." The girl answered, nodding. 

Severus' eyes widened and he tapped Barron's shoulder. 

"I know." She whispered. 

The blonde girl's long, thick hair was full of water and seaweed. The part of her hair near her stomach was drenched with a red liquid. Blood. 

"Miss Blackburn, is it?" The woman asked. The girl nodded. "I don't mean to worry you, but you seem to be bleeding." She said. 

Eliza pushed her hair aside and Blackburn gasped. There was a small, sharp branch sticking out of her. 

At that exact moment, Garrett came running to them. 

"Annalise! Annalise, I heard what happened. Oh my god, you're bleeding. Let me bring you to the infirmary." He said. 

He scooped her up as though she were weightless. 

"Thank you, Professors. I don't know how to thank you." Annalise whispered, her blue eyes filling with tears. 

The drenched teacher smiled. "Just doing our job, my dear." 

Annalise gasped in pain as the reality of her injury sunk in. 

"Mr. Bornean-Rasp take her to the infirmary immediately." Snape said. 

The boy ran off and Severus held out a hand to help Eliza up. She took his hand gratefully and attempted to stand up. She groaned and fell back down. 

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked. 

"I hit my knee when I was swimming back. It doesn't feel right." She said. 

He helped her up again by supporting all of her weight and picking her up in his arms. 

"What are you doing? You'll get all wet!" She exclaimed in surprise. 

"Damn the consequences." He said in response. 

She giggled at his logic. "Wait, wait! My cloak!" 

Parkinson passed it to her and the teacher thanked her. 

"Now, can we go?" Severus asked. 

"I still need my shoes." She was handed them and they left in direction of the castle. 

She was aware that he was watching her. 

"What are you looking at me like that for?" She asked. 

"No reason." He answered. 

"Poppycock. You never do anything without a reason." She said. 

"True." He said. "I'm wondering if you're okay." 

"Why didn't you just ask?" 

"You'd say that you're perfectly fine, but on the inside screaming in agony." He answered. "Just like the time you made an error in your experimenting and it blew up and you got fourth degree burns." 

"How do you know that?" She asked, her eyes widening. "That happened when I was 15." 

"I don't know." He answered. "It just popped into my mind, for some reason." 

Was he remembering? 

Maybe he could only remember in short bursts when certain events took place. 

Curious.


	6. Chapter 5- Coincidence? I Think Not.

### Chapter 5 Coincidence? I Think Not.

"Oh, dearie. You're leg is bending the wrong way. Nothing I can't fix though." Madam Pomfret said to Eliza with a smile. 

"I'm not worried." She replied. 

"Good thing Severus came along. I don't know how you would have gotten here, otherwise. How did you get to her anyway?" The nurse asked. 

"We were walking back from the Quidditch game and we heard a commotion. When we went to check, Miss Blackburn had been pushed into the water and. Professor Barron jumped in to save her." Severus answered. 

The dark haired witch scoffed. "I didn't save her. I just made sure she didn't drown. I merely pulled her out." 

"Sweetie, you sacrificed yourself for her." The Healer said. 

Eliza shrugged. "If you say so. Where is she anyway?" 

"Over here." Madam Pomfrey pulled away the curtain beside her bed and Annalise came into view. 

She was fast asleep. Her long blonde hair now dry, hung down the side of the bed. Her long lashes fluttered occasionally as she slept. Her pale complexion making her look like a porcelain doll was slightly tanned from the summer. 

Her breathing was slow, her chest rose and fell. There was bandage around her torso, visible through her thin, pale blue nightgown. By her side, Garrett sat in a chair and held her hand. He stroked her hair gently as he watched her sleep. Madam Pomfrey closed the curtain, before tending to Eliza again. 

"What's wrong?" She asked when she saw a tear roll down Eliza's face. 

"Nothing. It just seems so familiar. It's like a replica of a scene from 20 years ago." The teacher answered. 

Madam Pomfrey nodded. She was the only one apart from Dumbledore who knew what had taken place all those years ago. 

"I understand, my dear." She said sadly, brushing back the younger woman's dark curls. 

"Oh, Madam Pomfrey! It hurts so much. Why does it have to be this way?" Eliza said, tears streaming down her face. 

The elder witch handed her a tissue. "Severus, can you get some Dittany please? We need to clean up her scratches." The nurse asked. 

Severus, having no clue what was going on, agreed and left. 

"Dry your tears, girlie. It's not for forever. He'll remember. I know he will." 

She took the handkerchief from her slightly wrinkled hand. "But, I love him. He was supposed to remember by now. He was supposed to remember when we met again. Every day I hope it'll be the day he remembers, but it never is." 

"Calm down. It will happen. I am positive." She said, trying to comfort the upset woman. 

"He said I was beautiful. He said I was beautiful and that he cared for me more than he should. Then, a memory came back to him, but he couldn't remember where it came from." She said, gripping the woman's hand. 

"See? He's already coming around." The nurse said softly. 

He then walked back into the room and handed Madam Pomfrey the Dittany. 

"Are you alright?" He asked her. 

She nodded. "Better now." She answered. "Yikes! That burns!" She said, turning to face the nurse 

"Sorry." The nurse shrugged. 

After about an hour and a half, Eliza was free to go. 

"How's your knee?" Severus asked. 

"Surprisingly better than before I messed it up." She answered, bending it around. 

The dark wizard chuckles slightly. "That's good." 

They walked together to the Great Hall for lunch. 

Since it was Saturday, they had the rest of the day off. They spent the afternoon walking around outdoors. Enjoying the last few days of sunlight before winter came. 

"Did you know," Eliza started. "That I was a dropout?" She asked. 

Snape's eyes widened. "You? A dropout! That's hard to believe. Why?" 

"I have my reasons." She said mysteriously. "The Headmaster didn't really mind because I was so advanced in my studies. He was sad to see me go, but he agreed." 

"What did your parents think?" He asked. 

She stopped walking. "You really don't remember, do you?" She asked, looking into his ebony coloured eyes. 

"Eliza, what happened?" He asked in return. 

"I was an orphan. My mother committed suicide and my father, well...I never knew him. I still don't. All I know is that he's given me a lot of money and I am now relatively wealthy." She said. 

"That's a shame." He said. "Why did she..." 

"Kill herself?" Eliza finished. "I don't know. She was going to die anyway. She was starving herself to have the perfect body. She was so thin. I could blow on her and she'd fly off." "

Sorry to hear that." Severus said, genuinely sorry. 

"Forget it. What's passed is passed." She said. "Anyway, yeah, I dropped out. Dropped out, moved to Ireland, then to Poland and back to Ireland. Then, I travelled. Made some discoveries." 

"Interesting." Is all he said. 

Eliza tripped on a root and Severus caught her, only to fall as well. He shifted his weight last minute so that he'd fall first and not squish her. 

"Again, this situation." She said, laughing. "I'm not usually this clumsy. I normally watch my footing." She smiled nervously. 

"That's all right. It happens to the best of us." He said. 

Eliza stood up and helped him up again. 

"This used to happen all the time." She said. "When we were younger. We'd walk together around the grounds and we'd trip and fall. Sometimes roll down that hill over there." She pointed to a small hill near the whomping willow. 

"That's strange." He remarked. "I remember doing that with Lily, but not you." 

"Can I ask you something?" She asked. 

"Of course." He responded. 

"What was your patronus before it was a doe?" She asked. 

"I'm not exactly sure what it was. It looked like a baby leopard." He answered. "Why do you ask?" 

"Watch." She said. 

Then, out of the blue, her body morphed into a small, leopard-like animal. She sat in front of him for a moment and morphed back to her human form. 

"You're an animagus." He said. 

"Yes. I'm a margay. It looks like a baby leopard, sort of." She explained. 

"That's exactly what my patronus looked like." He said baffled, not believing what he has just seen. 

"Still don't believe me?" She asked. "What was it before?" 

"You're going to laugh." He said. 

"I highly doubt it." She replied. 

"Fine. A bat. It was a bat." He told her. 

"You mean like this?" With a wave of her wand, a small, silver bat flew around them before disappearing in the sunlight. 

"Your patronus is a bat? How?" He asked incredulously. 

She shrugged. "Used to be a fox, when I was little. People change. Life goes on." 

"Apparently." He muttered. He was starting to get weirded out. 

There were too many coincidences to what she was saying. He didn't believe in coincidences. There was no such thing. 

"What else do you know about me?" He asked, curiously. 

"Curiosity killed the cat." Eliza said mischievously. 

"Not really, you're still here." He shot back 

"Smart ass." She said, laughing. 

"Come on, I'm curious." He said, prodding for answers. 

"Alright." She said, giving in. "I know that when faced with a Boggart, you see a dead body lying on the floor in a white dress. A girl with dark curly hair, quite similar to mine, you now realize." 

"That's mental. How do you know that?" 

"I told you already, you told me once." She answered and sauntered off, continuing their walk. 

He shook his head and followed behind her. 

"You're a very strange witch." Severus said. "Very different." 

"Who would I be if I wasn't different?" She asked him. "I wouldn't be anything at all. I'd be boring." 

"What else do you know?" He asked, greedy for more knowledge on how much she claimed he told her. 

"Hold on, just because you saved my knee doesn't mean I have to tell you all my secrets." She said. 

"I know nothing about you!" He argued. "You're like a locked door." 

"All locked doors have their secrets." She said. 

"And you've got plenty. Say, why did you come to Hogwarts? You're always going on about how great Ireland was. Why did you come here." He asked. 

"I have something to do. It's imperative that I complete what I came to do, but I can't." She said. 

"Why not?" He asked. 

"Because you can't remember." 

*** 

"I don't know why. She just jumped into the water and got me out." Annalise explained to the Headmaster. 

"Thank goodness she did." Dumbledore said, smiling. 

"I would've drowned if she didn't." The blonde girl said. 

"I'll be sure to thank her on your part." He said. 

"Oh, it's not necessary, sir. My parents would like to see her. They're dreadfully worried. They're coming to visit on the first Hogsmeade outing." She said. 

"Very well." The old wizard said. "See you later, Miss Blackburn, Mr. Bornean-Rasp." 

He then left and headed down to the dungeons. 

He knocked on the classroom door of the Potions' class. 

Eliza answered the door and smiled at the Headmaster. 

"Come in, sir. How may. I help you?" She asked. 

"Good evening, Miss Barron." He said. "I am surprised at your willingness to saving a student who could have drowned if you hadn't acted when you did." 

"Sir, why would you be surprised? I was doing my duty as a teacher." She asked, aghast. 

"Most teachers would have used magic." He answered. 

Eliza thought a moment. "True, but you know how I feel about using magic on people, no matter the reason." 

"I do." He answered. 

"Can I get you some tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate." 

"Some cocoa would indeed be nice, thank you." He said. 

"One hot cocoa coming right up." She said, heading to her office. "Just a moment, please. Have a seat." 

He followed her to her office and watched her disappear through the black door that led to her stores that he knew led to her personal chambers. 

A few moments later, she returned with a steaming cup in her hand. 

"Not too hot, just the way you like it." She said, setting it down on the desk in front of him. 

Seeing the look on the old man's face, her small smile vanished. 

"What is it? What have I done?" She asked, worriedly. 

"My dear, you have rendered my Defence Against the Dark Arts professor completely obsessed with you." He stated plainly. 

"Sir, I haven't done it on purpose. You told me to keep my distance and I've tried. He's just so... Irresistible. And he seeks me out, not the other way around." She said. 

"That's the issue. He wants to know more about you." Albus said, carefully picking his words. 

"I can't help it. I love him. You said he'd remember when we met again! He hasn't yet remembered." She said angrily. 

"That wasn't the deal. The deal was that he'd remember you when he met the real you again." 

"Sir! I morphed before him and showed him my patronus! I've told him some of what I know about him. What more is there? I wish I never cast the stupid spell in the first place." She said placing her face in her hands. 

"Be careful of what you wish for, Miss Barron." 

"Don't you dare meddle with this! Bad enough you're already involved!" She shouted. 

"No need to raise your voice. Maybe you should tell him why you left the first time." He suggested. 

"No. He needs to remember for that. Besides, no one knows except for one person apart from myself. Not even you, sir." She snapped. 

"I am very well aware of that." He said calmly. 

His calmness was driving her mad. She wanted him to be angry and say something. Tell her what to do! 

"I give up. I don't understand you. You want me to stay away, but show him the real me. How? I'll stay away. I'll keep my distance and be cold and dark and mysterious like always until he finishes the job you want him to do." She said, taking a hand through her hair. 

Dumbledore nearly spit out his drink. He set the teacup down tenderly. 

"How do you know that?" He asked. 

"You're predictable, old man. Well, to me anyway. He sees it as retribution for his sins. You see it as a new move in your sick and twisted game. You are manipulative. I know you. It's also written in your mind clear as day. It's practically yelling at me." She said, gesturing to his head. 

"Ah yes, I forgot about that uncanny ability of yours." The Headmaster smiled warmly. 

A knock at the door interrupted them. 

Eliza groaned. "Come in!" She said loudly. 

The door opened and Garrett slipped in. 

"Professor, your help is needed in the infirmary. Someone was attacked by something and they need a second Healer upstairs." He said. 

"Who was attacked?" She asked, concern filling her voice, she disappeared to her stores and grabbed a few ingredients that she placed in a bag that had an extension charm placed upon it. 

Two students in under 12 hours, that had to be some type of record. 

The raven haired boy spoke again when she came into view. 

"Professor Snape."


End file.
